This invention relates generally to toys and more particularly to rotating toys with directional controls.
Most vertical takeoff and landing aircraft rely on gyro stabilization systems to remain stable in hovering flight. For instance, applicant""s previous U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,320 and International PCT application WO 99/10235 discloses a helicopter with a gyroscopic rotor assembly. The helicopter disclosed therein further uses a yaw propeller mounted on the frame of the body to control the orientation or yaw of the helicopter. However, different characteristics are present when the body of the toy, such as a flying saucer model, rotates. First, gyro stabilization systems may not be necessary when the body rotates, for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,759 to Tilbor et al.; 5,634,839 and 5,672,086 to Dixon; and 5,971,320 to Jeymyn et al.
Second, when the entire toy rotates the toy loses an orientation reference in which directional control inputs from a remote position can be received and translated into actual directional movement of the saucer. In a helicopter, airplane, or xe2x80x9caircraftxe2x80x9d, the aircraft itself predetermines a specific orientation defined in the nose of the aircraft. In such circumstances a user pushing a joystick controller forwards (or pushing a forwards button) directs the aircraft to travel forwards from its point of reference, similar directional controls are found in conventional remote controlled vehicles. However, when a aircraft completely rotates such as a flying saucer or any other rotating toy, the toy loses its orientation as soon as it begins to spin, making directional control difficult to implement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,542 to Britt, Jr. as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,759 to Tilbor et al. disclose rotary models or aircrafts but only address movement in an upwards, downwards or spinning direction; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,634,839 and 5,672,086 to Dixon discuss the use of a control signal to direct the rotating aircraft towards or away from the user, thus requiring the user to move about the rotating aircraft to the left or right if the user wants the saucer to move towards that particular direction. Implementing such directional controlling schemes in a closed environment such as a house makes controlling the aircraft extremely difficult.
In addition flying saucer models that entirely rotate prevent the rotating toy to have landing gear. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,297,759 to Tilbor et al.; 5,634,839 and 5,672,086 to Dixon; and 5,429,542 to Britt, Jr. do not include landing gear and as such must land directly on the bottom portion of the rotating aircraft. While it is plausible to have a landing gear on a toy on a helicopter, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,320 to Jermyn et al., the entire body of the helicopter does not rotate only the propeller portion rotates.
A need therefore exists to provide a rotating toy, preferably a rotating flying model that includes the means to achieve complete directional control from the perspective of the user. A need also exists to provide a means to land the rotating flying toy on a landing gear that is attached to a substantially non-rotating portion without have to stop the rotating of the toy.
In accordance with the present invention a rotating toy is provided and includes a hub defined by an outer portion rotatably connected by a substantially frictionless bearing to an inner portion. Extending outwardly from the outer portion is at least three rods offset from each other by a predetermined angle. Connected to the ends of the three rods is an outer ring and disposed on each rod between the hub and the outer ring is a rotary device, which includes a motor and propeller. When operating, the propellers rotate displacing air to generate lift and cause a reaction torque rotating the outer portion, rods, motors and outer ring. In addition, a plurality of legs extends downwardly from the inner portion of the hub in order to support the rotating toy, when the toy is on a surface. Each leg includes a vane protruding outwardly into the downwardly displaced air such that the vanes tend to drive the inner portion of the hub in a direction opposite of the outer portion. This causes the inner portion to be substantially non-rotating. The rotating toy further includes a means for determining a directional point of reference for the motors when the toy is rotating and includes a means for individually controlling the speed of the motors such that the rotating toy may travel in a specified direction. The rotating toy includes a tether that attaches a control box to the non-rotating portion of the rotating toy.
The toy also includes a means to remotely supply a drive voltage through the tether to each motor. The drive voltage is controlled through a throttle controller on the control box, and the amount of the drive voltage or amplitude of the drive voltage is applied uniformly to each motor, such that the propellers on each motor will rotate at the same rate. This will in turn permit the saucer to raise or lower substantially in a constant horizontal plane, meaning at a level plane and not tilted to one side. A cyclic or directional controller also on the control box controls the direction in which the saucer will travel, forwards, backwards, left or right. By adding a separate and predetermined sinusoidal wave to the drive voltage of each motor the resultant thrust vector of the saucer can be adjusted, causing the saucer to travel in a specified direction. In addition, the amplitude of the sinusoidal waves can be adjusted to correspond to the amount of movement in the directional controls, allowing the user to control the rate in which the saucer moves in that direction.
In another aspect of the present invention, the tether is attached through a feedback system that determines whether the toy is flying away from a center position. The feedback system sends a signal to a microprocessor that adjusts the amplitude and the beginning phase angle such that the rotating toy will substantially return to its center position.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the adjustment of amplitude and the beginning phase angle may be incorporated in other rotating toys, such as ground-based toys using wireless means to communicate the adjustments.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.